Borderlescott, still going strong at age 12, seeks second
Stewards’ Cup
At the age of 12, Borderlescott is the oldest horse running
at Glorious Goodwood this week and will be making his eighth appearance at the
five-day meeting.
In a career spanning 11 seasons, Borderlescott has run 77
times, winning 14 races and amassing career earnings of £786,243. His Glorious
Goodwood record reads two wins, a second and a third from eight outings and
there would not be a more celebrated result should he triumph again in
Saturday’s Stewards’ Cup.
The son of Compton Place, who was purchased for a mere
13,000 guineas at DBS Sale in October, 2003, sprung to prominence as a
four-year-old in 2006. After a head defeat in a listed race at Fairyhouse in
July, he made his Glorious Goodwood debut in the Stewards’ Cup as a strongly fancied
10-1 chance and produced a smooth performance to win decisively by a neck.
That victory was the highlight of Robin Bastiman’s training
career but the best was still to come. Borderlescott came within a short-head of
becoming the first back-to-back winner of the Stewards’ Cup since Sky Diver (1967 &
1968) when second to Zidane in 2007. Remarkably, he nearly defied top-weight and
a rating of 110 when third, beaten three quarters of a length, to Conquest the
following year.
Borderlescott took his form to a new level next time out
when getting the better of a top-class field in the rearranged Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at Newmarket in August 2008.
The bay gelding returned to Glorious Goodwood in 2009 and was warm
favorite for the Group 2 King George Stakes over five furlongs. Sent
off at 9-4, the draw conspired against him and he did much the best of those
from a low draw to finish fourth. This set him up nicely for a defense of his
Nunthorpe Crown and he didn’t disappoint, scoring by a neck to become the first
dual winner since Sharpo (1981 & 1982).
Kieren Fallon was in the plate when Borderlescott lined up
in 2010 King George, and the Goodwood faithful backed him into
9-2 favoritism. He produced a brilliant performance and scored easily by a
half-length under a confident waiting ride from the champion jockey.
Unfortunately, Borderlescott struggled with injury over the
following 12 months, only running five times.
His two most recent performances at Glorious Goodwood have
yielded a respectable ninth in the 2012 Stewards’ Cup and an 11th in last year’s King George.
Borderlescott will enter Saturday’s contest off a close fifth in a York
handicap on July 11.
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